37Emilia’s POV I turned around on my bed, blinking open one eye and wincing et the ray of sunlight that threatened to blind me. I closed my eyes and turned away from the window, then opened it and stared at the alarm clock on my night stand. It was almost ten in the morning, and there was that urge that always tugged at me every morning—an instinctive urge to check on Francesca. Maybe it was the way she looked at me, or how she’d laugh like she’d known me her whole life. Whatever it was, it had a hold on me, something fierce and protective.I pulled on a robe and padded quietly down the hall, heading to her room. I could hear faint voices as I neared, a woman’s gentle tone and Francesca’s soft giggles. Confusion and a little bit of panic washed over me. Alaric wouldn’t just allow any woman in this house, much less near Francesca’s room. He was Intensely private, and I doubted he’d invite anyone without good reason.My steps slowed, and I hesitated outside her door, feeling my pulse
38Alaric’s POV Driving through the city streets late at night, the tension inside the car was as thick as fog. Allesio sat beside me, eyes focused on the road ahead but occasionally darting toward me, waiting for my reaction each time we hit another dead end or picked up a new thread of evidence that led us in directions I didn’t want to consider. We’d been chasing this ambush for days now, and the pieces were falling together into a picture that was almost too twisted to believe.I slid my car into an old garage downtown. The owner, an older man named Rico, had been at the port the night of the ambush, keeping an eye on the shipments for Guiseppe’s team. He’d heard rumors floating around the neighborhood that something was off with the Cruz family’s involvement. I wanted to press him for more, see if he’d noticed anything else out of place, anyone unfamiliar lurking around.I stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut and walking straight into the garage without waiting for All
39Emilia’s POV I spent the rest of the morning trying to shake off the awkwardness of the encounter. My mind kept replaying the scene—Francesca running up to me, calling me “mommy” with all the innocence in the world, and the shocked look on the woman’s face. I couldn’t quite get a read on her reaction, but it was enough to rattle me. The idea that she could’ve been Francesca’s mother, even if it made no logical sense, had settled into my thoughts like a splinter.I hadn’t seen the woman since she left the room. Alaric hadn’t mentioned her either during breakfast, and I didn’t want to be the one to bring it up. Instead, I tried to busy myself with small tasks around the house, staying close to Francesca, who seemed blissfully unaware of any discomfort. It was just another morning for her—drawing pictures in the living room, her favorite stuffed bear by her side.By mid-morning, I decided to head to the kitchen. If nothing else, I could make myself a cup of coffee and try to clear my
40Alaric’s POV My meeting today was set to be the kind that would shake the ground beneath any man’s feet—just not mine. I’d built my life around avoiding these traps, these landmines of misplaced trust. Yet here I was, facing the reality that one of my own allies had potentially turned on us. I’d spent the past few hours steeling myself, sharpening the edge that would get me through this conversation.A few minutes later, Allesio joined me, a grim look in his eyes that mirrored my own.“Ready?” he asked.I nodded, reaching for my coat. “Let’s go.”I walked out of the house briskly, ignoring Irene who was just setting the table for breakfast. Allesio followed behind me and soon we were inside the dar, Allesio behind the wheels, and speeding out of the compound.The drive was silent. Allesio was as focused as I was, his gaze fixed on the road, hands steady on the wheel. He knew the stakes just as well as I did—if I was right about this betrayal, then everything we’d worked to build
41Emilia’s POV I walked out of the room, a frown forming on my face as I made my way to the stairs. Irene had called my phone a few minutes ago. She’d asked me to meet her in the main living room. Her tone had been light casual but it had seemed like she was holding back a smile.Finally, I got to the living room and halted, my eyes going wide. The room was filled with people I didn’t know, men and women. At least a dozen. And they were all dressed in crisp uniforms, standing in a neat line. I hesistated. They were not part of Alaric’s men that were always in the shadows of the house.Irene caught my eye and waved me over, her face warm with a welcoming smile. “Come on in, Emilia,” she said, gesturing for me to stand beside her. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet—or rather, someones.”I stepped closer, almost shrinking under the dozen curious eyes on me. It was strange; I had been living here for weeks now and had never seen any of these people before. I recognized the occasional
42Alaric’s POV I sighed a document and pushed it to the side, wanting to dive straight into another document when my phone vibrated with a tone that I had set specifically for Allesio’s texts.“Meet me at the hideout. Now.”I read it once again before dropping my pen and puttimg my phone into my pants pocket as I got up from my chair. I didn’t waste time I heading out of the house at all.I got to Allesio’s hideout barely thirty minutes later. It was a small building tucking into a quiet, dark part of the city. It wasn’t the sort of place anyone would think to look for me, which was the point. Stepping inside, the faint smell of dust and old leather filled my nose and clouded over my senses. Allesio was standing before a table, a grim look on his face as he stared at the stack of papers spread across the table.“Boss,” he greeted, nodding as I approached. “I’ve been following Ferraro as you requested, and I’ve got everything here. And what I have here…I think it’s evidence enough. W
43Emilia’s POV I walked up the steps to Matteo’s new apartment building, clutching a paper bag filled with pastries from a café I’d passed on my way over. It was a breezy morning, the kind of weather that should make you feel light and hopeful, but my stomach was knotted with nerves. I hadn’t seen Matteo since the day he moved in, and while we’d exchanged a few texts, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d been neglecting him, wrapped up in my own mess.The elevator ride was short, but it felt like forever. I tried to steady my breath, thinking about what I’d say. I wanted to apologize for not visiting sooner, for not being there when he was discharged. But I knew Matteo. He’d brush it off like it was nothing, make some joke to put me at ease. It was just his way.I knocked twice on his door, a quick rap of knuckles against the wood, then took a step back. The door swung open almost immediately, like he’d been standing there waiting.“Emilia!” Matteo’s face lit up in a wide grin, and
44Alaric’s POV The room was dimly lit, casting shadows over the faces of the gathered men, but that was intentional. I wanted the tension thick, the stakes apparent to everyone seated around the long, polished table. The neutral meeting location, an old mansion off the beaten path, was chosen to ensure no one could claim an advantage of home turf. Guiseppe sat near the head of the table, his expression stormy as he scanned the faces of everyone gathered. Key allies lined the sides, watching in uneasy silence as we prepared to lay bare the betrayal that had snaked its way into our circle.I caught Ferraro’s gaze briefly as I walked in, noting the way he held himself. Confident, almost smug—he didn’t know yet. The traitorous family sat closest to the door, as if they had someplace to be. Good. I wanted them thinking about exits because, by the end of this meeting, they wouldn’t have many left.“Gentlemen,” I said, taking my seat across from Guiseppe, who gave me a nod of acknowledgmen
326Gianna’s POV Forgiving him should be easy.But it isn’t.It’s messy. It’s complicated. It’s a battlefield in my mind, where every step forward is met with a reminder of why I built these walls in the first place.I sat at my desk, staring at the half-written email on my screen. A simple reply to a client, something I could normally do in my sleep, but my mind wasn’t here. It was stuck on him.Matteo.I hated that he had this effect on me.That he could say one thing—one brutally honest, open-hearted thing—and suddenly, I was unraveling.I slammed my laptop shut, rubbing my temples.I needed air.I grabbed my coat and left my office, striding down the hall with purpose. If I stayed in that room any longer, I’d drive myself insane.As I walked, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, heart skipping a beat when I saw the name.Matteo.I hesitated.I could ignore it. Pretend I was too busy.But my fingers moved before my brain could catch up, and suddenly, I was answering.“
325Gianna’s POVI had every intention of avoiding him today.Really, I did.But Matteo had a way of ruining my best-laid plans. It started with a simple meeting—one I couldn’t get out of. He sat across from me, tapping his pen against the table, his eyes flicking to mine every few minutes. I ignored him. Or at least, I tried toThen there was lunch. I walked into the office kitchen, and there he was, leaning against the counter, stirring sugar into his coffee like he knew I’d be there.“Gianna,” he greeted, far too casually.I exhaled. “Matteo.”He smirked. “Good to see you.”I grabbed my coffee, turned on my heel, and walked right back out.But then came the real problem—when I was finally alone in my office, attempting to regain some semblance of peace. That was when he knocked.I could have ignored it but I didn’t.“Come in,” I called, already regretting it.Matteo stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. That was my second mistake because the moment he closed the door, I kne
324Gianna’s POV I should’ve gone home hours ago.Instead, I was sitting in my office, blinking at my laptop screen, while my brain slowly melted into useless mush.The fluorescent lights buzzed softly overhead. The building was nearly empty, the usual hum of conversation replaced by silence. It was late. Too late.And yet, somehow, I wasn’t alone.Matteo was still here.Because of course he was.I could hear him through the open door of my office, tapping away at his keyboard like some kind of overachiever. He was supposed to have left hours ago, but he was still here, still working. Or maybe just finding another excuse to get under my skin.Either way, I was too tired to care.I rubbed my temples, forcing myself to focus on the numbers on the screen. One last report. One last email. Then I could go home, crawl into bed, and forget this day ever happened.A yawn crept up my throat, but I stifled it.“Still alive in there, boss?”I groaned, tilting my head back against my chair. “Bar
323Gianna POVThe worst part was, I knew it was going to happen.It was inevitable.Matteo had always been funny—annoyingly so. He had this way of slipping humor into moments when I least expected it, making me laugh even when I didn’t want to.And now? Now he wasn’t even trying to be his usual cocky, persistent self.He was just there. Existing in my space. Acting normal.It was throwing me off.Because for weeks, I had been bracing myself for the full Matteo treatment—the relentless flirting, the smug little comments, the infuriating confidence. But instead, I got this version of him.Quieter. More patient. Still infuriating, but in a way I didn’t entirely hate.And then, of course, I had to go and ruin everything by laughing at his damn joke.It happened in the break room of all places. I had gone in for a much-needed coffee, barely holding on after a brutal morning of meetings. It was one of those days where everything felt heavier than it should have, where even the smallest inc
322Matteo’s POV Losing was never something I handled well.I grew up winning. Winning arguments. Winning people over. Winning her.But this? This wasn’t something I could win with charm or persistence.Gianna wasn’t some deal I could negotiate or some puzzle I could solve if I just tried hard enough.She was a person. A person I had hurt. And if I wanted any chance of having her in my life again, I had to stop trying to fix things my way and actually start listening.So, for once, I shut up.I stopped pushing. Stopped crowding her space, stopped making every interaction a challenge. And instead? I focused on being better.Not for her. Not to get her back.For me.It wasn’t like the shift happened overnight.I still wanted to reach for her every time I saw her. Still wanted to flirt, to test the boundaries between us, to make her feel something. But I didn’t.Instead, I started paying attention.To how tired she looked after back-to-back meetings. To the way she rubbed her temples wh
321Matteo’s POV Work events were always the same.Expensive suits. Polished smiles. The kind of fake enthusiasm that made my skin itch. I usually got through them with a drink in my hand and a carefully measured level of small talk. But tonight?Tonight, my attention was locked on one thing and one thing only.Gianna.She stood across the room, poised and composed in a sleek black dress that made my brain short-circuit. She was talking to some executive from finance, her smile polite but distant.Classic CEO mode.I wondered if she knew I was here yet. If she could feel me watching her the way I always did.She hadn’t spoken to me since the elevator. Since I’d laid out my cards and told her exactly what I planned to do.I’d meant every word.And if I had any doubts, they vanished the second her eyes flickered in my direction.There it was. That hesitation. That awareness. Yeah. She still felt it too.I made my way through the crowd, nodding and exchanging the usual pleasantries on m
320Matteo POVSome men would take a hint.Luckily, I wasn’t some men.I’d spent the past three weeks testing every possible angle with Gianna—banter, persistence, patience—but she was still treating me like a stranger. Like we hadn’t spent years wrapped up in each other’s lives. Like I was just another employee in this company she built from the ground up.It was driving me insane.But today, I had a feeling.I didn’t believe in fate or luck or any of that crap, but something told me that today was my shot.So I took it.I waited until the last meeting of the day, when the exhaustion was fresh in her bones and her defenses were a little lower. As everyone filed out, I fell into step beside her, casually like I wasn’t very intentionally blocking her path.“Matteo, you’re in my way,” she muttered, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder.I smirked. “I think you mean I’m in your head.”She shot me a sharp look. “Get over yourself.”I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice just f
319Gianna’s POV Some days tested my patience.Today flat-out stomped on it.First, our finance team sent in projections so off I had to double-check if someone had been drunk while making them. Then, an investor decided to “pop in” unannounced, which meant I had to sit through an hour-long meeting I hadn’t prepared for. And to top it off, some executive—I couldn’t even remember his name, that’s how unimportant he was—decided to question my authority in front of the board.By the time I got back to my office, my head was pounding, and I was two seconds away from quitting my own damn company.I shut the door behind me, exhaled sharply, and closed my eyes for a brief moment of silence.It lasted all of three seconds before a voice interrupted it.“Wow. That bad, huh?”I snapped my eyes open. Matteo was leaning against the corner of my desk, arms crossed, looking like he lived to get under my skin.“What are you doing here?” I muttered, already exhausted.He shrugged. “You weren’t in yo
318Gianna’s POVThere was nothing a girls’ night couldn’t fix.Or at least, that’s what I told myself as I slid into the booth across from Vanessa, my closest friend and the only person in my life who wouldn’t hesitate to tell me when I was being an idiot.The bar was packed, music humming low in the background, the scent of citrus and expensive perfume mingling with the buzz of conversation. Vanessa was already halfway through her first drink, a smirk on her lips as she pushed a margarita toward me.“Drink up,” she said. “You look like you need it.”I sighed, picking up the glass. “It’s been a long week.”“Let me guess—Matteo?”I groaned. “I don’t want to talk about him.”“Liar.” She rested her chin on her hand, eyes gleaming with amusement. “You wouldn’t have made that face if you didn’t want to talk about him.”I took a sip of my drink, stalling. But Vanessa just waited, one brow arched, until I finally caved.“He’s been… persistent.”Vanessa snorted. “Of course he has. This is Ma